The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-04-28
Guillotining O Woman.

Guillotining q Woman.
Paris Correspondence New York World.
A woman has been guillotined in
France for the first time i'll fifteen
years. The circumstances attending
the execution were horribly revolving,
as were also the circumstances at
tending the crime. The woman had
murdered her old mother, whom she
considered burden on her. Shetook
every precaution to insure the success
OF the murder. She first saturated the
old woman's clothing with oil, then
set fire to her and held her down with
a long stick while the decrepit old crea-
ture was roasting to death. The old
woman cried piteously for mercy, but
the heartless daughter held her down
till she was burned to a
crisp. And then, to crown
murder with blasphemy, she
placed lighted candle before the stat
ne OF the Virgin, as an act ofthanksgiv-
ing, for the successful issue OF the MUIR
der of her mother. The inhabitants
OF the town, Ramortin, in which the
crime took place. were thrown into a
state of unspeakable excitement. The
authorities had much difficulty topre-
vent people from mobbing the prison
and lynching the prisoner. A speedy
trial-and trials in France are always
speedy-alone satisfied the populace.
The woman was promptly condemned
to death.
The French, as is known, are repug-
nant to the death sentence, and
French juries come in for much ridi-
cule, apropos OF "extenuating circum-
stances" But in this case the trial
was over before other trials would
have been begun. Eilial love in
France is one OF the strongest charac-
teristics OF the peasantry, and any one
| who abuses parent is relentlessly
tabooed from society.
In the present instance the repug-
nance OF the people in regard to the
execution of a woman was overcome
by the atrocity of the crime, and Pres
ident Grevy, who is opposed to cap
ital punishment on principle, and who
sends nine out his ten murderers to
New Caledonia instead of to M.
Deibler's machine, signed the death
warrant without question.
When the arrival OF Mr. Deibler be-
came known to the people of the
town the evening before the execution
there was general rejoicing. The peo-
pie remained up all night to witness
the execution in the morning. Most
of them were on the ground outside
| the prison as early as midnight. When,
about 5 O'Clock in the morning. the
tumbril, or cart, appeared bearing the
murderess to the place of execution,
the assembled multitude sent up a
joyous shout. The distance from the
Jail to the place of execution was long
but the entire populace OF the town
followed the death cortege. All along
the way the people hooted and jeered,
the women especially, and pressed at
| times SO threatin1y around the vehi-
| Gle that the gens-d armes had to draw
their weapons.
On arriving on the fatal spot dead
silence fell on the multitude. The
woman was ordered to descend from
the vehicle, but she did not respond to
the summons. She had tainted. The
officers removed her and carried her
to the guillotine, which was grimly
standing in the morning light. On her
way she recovered her senses and
screamed and resisted. She Was
promptly placed on the fatal instru-
ment, with her head thrust
through the basoule. Her screams
were drowned by the shouts OF the as
sembled people. They rushed around
the instrument, despite the efforts OF
| the cens-d' armes to keep them back.
Mothers held up their babies, and men
held up their little boys at arms length
to let them witness the execution o1
the murderess, that they might re-
member the reason for life.
NJ. Deibler. who is humane man,
as far as such may be said Of ar
executioner, did not prolong the scene.
He touched the "butt on" while the
culprit was screaming and the assem-:
bled people shouting. The head drop
ped into the basket; the body was
thrown, with the discovered head, intoa
wagon and hurried Off to the cemetery.
The attendants OF NJ Deibler washe d
the blood from the flags and the ma
chine with their sponges, and the I'M
mense crowd returned home satisfied
that Justice had been melted out to
the unnatural daughter who had Sc
cruelty murdered her aged mother. 1t
is seldom such a CHASTITY scene is wit.
messed in France.